479 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.479 Paper Mill - 13 Deep within the mountains of Hubei Province. A place so overgrown with vegetation, it's nearly impossible to spot from the outside. A mountain stronghold difficult for any intruder to approach. This was the refuge of bandits who, alongside the dreaded Shadowless Divine Fist, had become the bane of corrupt officials and were now praised by the impoverished and destitute. "Our leader has become a constable?" Upon hearing news from Wuhan, the executives of Nokrim within the tent—or rather, the officers of the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party—were in shock. “Yes. He’s become such a renowned constable in Wuhan that everyone knows him.” “Constable! But didn’t they say he commands the Shadowless Divine Fist as his subordinate?” Recently, the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party had heard rumors of another righteous bandit operating in Wuhan and sent someone there, which is how they came to learn about Kang Yoon Ho. But suddenly, a constable? The leader, using the Shadowless Divine Fist to carry out acts of righteous banditry, had thrilled them all. They couldn’t help but be puzzled. “He is said to be the only match for the Shadowless Divine Fist.” “What?! So he really became a constable who catches thieves?” “Our leader... has become our enemy?” A constable was, after all, an adversary to thieves. For the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party, who engaged in acts of righteous robbery, the notion that their leader was on the opposing side left them utterly bewildered. “Silence.” At a single commanding word from a man seated and maintaining his composure, the tent fell into complete silence. “Secretary-General!” “Didn’t you say it was just what the public believes?” Secretary-General Sutalin twirled his impressive mustache as he spoke. “What do you mean?” “Are you daring to doubt our leader? There must be some other explanation. Isn’t that right?” Sutalin admonished those doubting, then shifted his gaze to the one who brought the news. “Indeed, Secretary-General! Although it was hard to believe, I monitored the situation long and meticulously and finally understood it. Yes, he only took on the infamy of being a constable to achieve a greater cause!” The messenger praised Sutalin’s insight, nodding fervently. “Explain in detail.” “Recently, a group of outlaws, falsely using the name of the Shadowless Divine Fist, were stirring havoc by killing courtesans and robbing the innocent.” “A fake Shadowless Divine Fist?!” “There were those audacious enough to interfere with his work?” “Such insolence! These outlaws! We must rise at once!” “Indeed! Having claimed three mountain strongholds, we must aid him in his predicament!” The officers, upon hearing there were hindrances to their leader’s work, were ready to unsheathe their swords and storm out. “No need! Our leader, upon learning the truth, has annihilated them all!” The speaker revealed the astonishing development, claiming no such action was required. “What!” “He personally annihilated them?!” The officers of the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party were dumbfounded at the news that their leader had meted out justice himself. “He was clearly judging those besmirching his grand cause.” Sutalin nodded calmly. As expected of the leader. Becoming a constable was a way to utilize official power. Even Sutalin, impressed by the underlying motives, restrained his emotions. For Sutalin had to remain composed as he led the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party in place of their leader. “That's right! And that's not all. Recently, the Shadowless Divine Fist raided the house of a provincial official.” “What, what did you say……?!” Even Sutalin could not hide his shock at the following news. “They, they raided the provincial official’s house?!” “Yes. The official was so shocked by the empty vault that he fainted and didn’t regain consciousness for days! It seemed the leader infiltrated the official’s house like a spy and paved the way for the Shadowless Divine Fist!” “Hahaha! That's our leader! That’s our leader indeed!” None of the officers in the tent could conceal their amazement. Yet the messenger wasn’t finished. “There’s more. When the auditor awoke, the ledger exposing the official’s corruption was found at his bedside. As a result, the official has been sent to the capital in shackles, now having to guard his neck!” “My, my goodness!” “Single-handedly toppling a wealthy magnate...! And a provincial official at that!” “That’s Kang Yoon Ho, our leader!!!” “And you call him your friend! How dare you mention his name lightly!” “I, I apologize!” With the news of a great magnate, called the provincial official, being toppled, the tent was filled with jubilant exultation. “How shameful... how utterly shameful!” Except for one man seated at the highest spot within the tent, lowered in sorrow. “Secretary-General?” The officers stared in astonishment at the Secretary-General, clutching his head in desperation. “I am unable to even deal with a single county magistrate due to the inspectors! While he takes down a provincial official on his own! I am truly ashamed to face our leader!” Any rash action against officials would bring the inspectors down upon them. Even though the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party was growing stronger, it was vital to avoid direct clashes with the inspectors. Thus, they had only been striking down wicked magnates to reinforce their influence. Yet, their leader, having stepped down from his position, had dealt with neither a county magistrate nor a landlord, but a provincial official alone. And he did it single-handedly. Sutalin, as the Secretary-General leading the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party in the absence of their leader, couldn’t lift his head from the weight of his shame. “You have been guiding us so well, how could you feel ashamed? Thanks to you, we’ve already taken over our third mountain stronghold!” Currently, the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party was gathered at what had been called the Aalith Hill stronghold. Provoked by their leader supposedly commanding the Shadowless Divine Fist, they had conquered their third Nokrim stronghold. “Indeed! That’s our leader! He is beyond anything we can judge!” “Who could have imagined single-handedly bringing down a provincial official? It’s only possible because of our leader, not something for Secretary-General to feel ashamed of!” “You are the sole deputy entrusted by our leader! Hold your head high, Secretary-General!” "Indeed. It's truly remarkable! Secretary-General Sutalin, to think you saw beyond the statement that our leader had become a constable, suspecting there was more to it. Nobody else here would have thought that!" Though the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party revered Kang Yoon Ho as their leader, they also deeply trusted Sutalin as the appointed practical leader. "Heh heh. Our leader once masqueraded as a matchmaker, didn't he? I suspected he must be acting again!" Sutalin chuckled bitterly in response to the officers' supportive encouragement. "Of course! Secretary-General Sutalin, who is closest to the leader, truly understands him!" "The more I hear about our leader, the more amazed I am! Is there more?" Sutalin, as fierce against the bourgeoisie as anyone, looked at the messenger with eyes akin to a child awaiting a gift, eager to hear more of their leader’s exploits. "Workers from Wuhan who witnessed the leader up close are here!" "Bring them in at once!" —————— "Our leader is currently undertaking a test to become the successor of the Treasure Exchange." The news from the Wuhan workers caused the officers' expressions to freeze instantly. "What?!" "Don't lie. There's no way he would do such a thing." "It's... it's true." "This can't be! Are you telling us to believe that the leader is trying to become a bourgeois?!" The greatest enemy of the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party was known to be the bourgeois, those who indulged in tears born from wealth like drinks. How could their revered leader be seeking to become a bourgeois, not just a constable? The party was left utterly at a loss as to how to process this news. "Do you still doubt the leader?" Except for one man—the unwavering Secretary-General. "…Secretary-General?" "The leader must have some grand plan. Isn't that so?" Sutalin questioned the green-haired worker as though he already understood everything. "How could you know! I, I was skeptical at first, just like everyone else! But indeed, he's merely preparing to don a new mask in the service of a greater cause!" The worker exclaimed in a voice full of awe and emotion. "Of course! Tell us in detail." "He led the workers in a strike." "A strike? What is that?" "It’s another method, like the righteous robbery, crafted by him to achieve the great cause! As he delivered a speech explaining the necessity of the strike... I couldn’t help it… tears... I couldn’t hold back my tears!" The worker, as if overwhelmed by the memory of the speech, fell to his knees on his shaking legs. "What, what did he say? What did he tell the workers?!" The Secretary-General couldn’t contain his excitement at what the leader supposedly said. "I will recount it now." The worker, gathering the members of the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party, started to recite the speech Kang Yoon Ho had given at the paper mill. ——— “Sniff.” “Sniffle!” “Waaaaah!” "The leader's speech always strikes a chord deep within our hearts!" As Kang Yoon Ho's speech to the workers reverberated through the stronghold, it turned into a sea of tears among the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party. "The reason we've been poor wasn't because of us!" "We are poor because of the rich who own the means of production!" "The bourgeois bastards who drink tears of wealth like wine without any toil!" "It's because they have the means of production!" "If we don’t rise, if we don’t move, if we don’t resist for a year, five years, ten years, nothing will change!" "Refuse to become assets for the bourgeoisie!" "Truly, the leader's ideology! Such words are the treasure of the Outlaws Alleviating Poverty Party!" The party, which had been busy hunting the bourgeois and expanding its influence, couldn’t hide its excitement over the leader's newly materialized ideology. "My chest is so full of emotion! I can't breathe!" "Doctor! Over here at once!" "The leader’s words revive even a dead heart! What help could I need? Stand tall!" "I hear the leader's rallying call to stand! Yes…! I can’t fall here!" The man's breathing quickly returned. "A miracle! The leader's miracle! Even from afar, he performs miracles!" "I also couldn’t hold back my tears when the leader told us workers to rise all together!" The worker, shedding tears, confessed what had happened. "Leader!" "I want to run to the leader right now and hear more of his words!" “Ha ha ha ha…” Amidst the fervor and mania, a chuckle escaped from one man. "Secretary-General?" "Yes. That’s how it is." Sutalin nodded cooly. "What is it?" "Hasn't anyone noticed?" "Notice what?" Everyone exchanged confused glances at Sutalin’s question. Sutalin let out a quiet laugh at their puzzlement. "Indeed… Only I can at least grasp the leader's intentions." "Secretary-General! Tell us! What’s going on?" Wearing a cold countenance as if matching the chilly breeze from the north, Sutalin approached the worker who recited the leader's speech. "Is it true that he saw your hair color and pretended not to notice?" "What? Yes, that’s right. He said we were all workers in the same situation and looked at me." "Why did he, a man working quietly in obscurity, suddenly make such a speech? None of you realized?" Sutalin looked at the outlaws with eyes of sympathy. "What do you mean?" "The leader must have guessed your origin from looking at the green hair." "……!" Everyone stared at the Secretary-General with startled eyes at that single question. "The leader! He was urging me! This foolish party! To deliver his message!" A man who renounced power to avoid becoming a bourgeois and withdraw into obscurity. He became a constable and created a subordinate in the form of the Shadowless Divine Fist, yet wasn’t he the one who desperately concealed his identity? So why now? Why did he choose to reveal his true nature in front of a green-haired worker? Only Sutalin, in this gathering, perceived the underlying truth. “It can't be!” “Bring paper and brush at once! Don’t miss a single word—transcribe everything! Today, as Secretary-General, I will begin interpreting each word he has spoken!” The words he had for them. They must discover the meaning behind those words. In Sutalin's cold eyes burned a flame hotter than any other.